 Les Moonves |
If CBS CEO Les Moonves were to exit the network in the wake of his battles with National Amusements and Shari Redstone, he would likely do so with a major payout. A report on The Wrap places the value of the golden parachute that Moonves would receive at somewhere between $181 million and $315 million, which would include an additional sum for the company’s stock performance. The report says the numbers are based on company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. But none of that money is guaranteed. While Moonves would probably get a $184 million parachute if CBS fired him without cause, if the dismissal were for “good reason,” several million dollars would be trimmed from that figure. And if there’s “cause” for Moonves’ firing, he could potentially receive no money at all, not even the stock-based payout.
 Alex Jones |
Conspiracy theorist, talk show host and online disaster-preparedness supply salesman Alex Jones is expanding his InfoWars digital media platform into a 24-hour-a-day news operation. Jones told viewers of his show that InfoWars is planning to bring on about 15 new employees—“our biggest recruitment and hiring operation ever.” InfoWars is looking to fill positions including video editors, live show producers and investigative reporters. Jones’ YouTube channel currently has 2.35 million subscribers. An enthusiastic supporter of President Trump, Jones is perhaps most famous for his claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook school shootings were a hoax perpetrated by the mainstream media. “This is a very, very exciting chance for InfoWars to up our game in the face of the globalists,” he said.
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Interview, the magazine founded by Andy Warhol in 1969, has shut down. According to multiple sources, the magazine has filed for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and is currently in the process of liquidating its assets. The publication, which has been owned by billionaire art collector Peter Brant since 1989, has been through a series of financial difficulties over the past few years. Interview employees were locked out of its Soho offices in February for not paying rent, and the company subsequently moved. In April, the magazine’s editorial director Fabien Baron resigned. Earlier this month, Baron filed suit against the company, alleging that he and his wife, stylist Ludivine Poiblanc, are owed over $600,000 in unpaid invoices.
Underscore Media, a new creator-led media venture dedicated to New York sports, is built around three established New York sports personalities, Sal Licata, Jimmy Traina, and John Jastremski.
McClatchy, which owns 29 daily papers across 14 states (including The Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee and Kansas City Star), launches a wave of layoffs that extends to at least 13 of those papers... The Toledo Blade, which was founded in 1835, is set to shut down on Dec. 31, unless owner Block Communications manages to find a buyer for it... A bill awaiting approval by California governor Gavin Newsom would give local newsrooms a boost. 
Fox News Media issued a pretty sparse release to announce the departure of one of its stars. “Effective today, Maria Bartiromo is no longer with FOX News Media,” it reads.
Brunswick Group partner John Simons has joined CNN as senior director of business & media. He held top jobs at Time and the Wall Street Journal.
WNET, the nation’s largest public media company, names Edward O’Keefe its next president and CEO, effective September 21. O’Keefe succeeds Neal Shapiro, who becomes president emeritus and will retire at the end of the year... The Stealth Bot Prohibition Act, which would empower news publishers and other content providers to defend themselves by mandating transparency for all bots crawling their sites, in introduced in the House by Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) and Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC)... Google gets socked by European Union regulators with a $1 billion fine for using the platform’s dominance as a search engine to illegally undercut competition.
